Butt-welding machine



INVENTOR.

gm ATTORNEY.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 P. FASSLER BUTT WELDING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1924 Oct. 20, 1925.

Oct. 20, 1925. 1,557,573

P. FASSLER BUTT WELDI NG MACHINE Fi ed April 18, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Hater mask? I ATTORNEY.

Oct. 20, 1925. 1,557,573

P. FASSLER BUTT WELDING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I N VEN TOR. Paez' fZwalez' ATTIORNEY.

Oct. 20, 1925. 1,557,573

P. FASSL ER BUTT WELDING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR. Fkfar Easier Mi; Q'M

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

rm 1 01' DETROIT, IICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO FISHER BODY CORPORATION, OF DEIBOIT, HICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BUTT-WELDING MACHINE.

Application filed April 18, 1924. Serial No. 707,828.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER FASSLER, a citizen of Switzerland, residin "at Detroit, in the county of Wa ne and tate of Michi- 5 gen, have invente certain new and useful Improvements in Butt-Welding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine arranged to weld a plurality of seams, preferably with a butt weld.

It is the object of the invention, more particularlv, to simultaneously weld together several sheet metal panels such as the stamped panels used in automobile body construction.

It is not broadly new to butt weld such panels together by electric resistance weld- 1ng or by what is sometimes termed flashwelding. However, so far as I know, no

one has designed a machine provided with suitable jigs or stock holders so that a plurality of these sheet metal panels may be welded together in one operation, thereby very materially lessening the labor costs in joining the panels to ether. This is especially esirable in wel ing together the parts that go to form the rear seat shell of an automobile body. The invention will be described and illustrated with particular reference to such a seat shell, but obviously it has a wider application, as will be apparent from the wording of the claims.

The machine is so constructed that the transformer housing forms the major portion of the secondary circuit. A stationary welding jig is supported on a pillar rising from the center of the casing, which pillar is an integral part of the co per casting which forms the transformer liousing and the secondary. This pillar forms the one pole of the secondary while a pluralit of poles of the opposite sign are formetl by suitable traveling carriages which are mechanically operated and roperl timed to bring the jigs and the wor toget er, and to afford the proper mechanical pressure to secure the best results in welding.

The construction is such that th transformer, in accordance with the best practice, is located directly in the center of the machine and directly under the center welding fixture. The two movable welding jigs are immediately at the side of the trans-- former and connected by large flexible copper conductors. The details of the construction will be better understood when the several illustrated parts are more particularly described.

In the drawings:

'Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine partly in section showing the work in place to be welded.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of what is shown in Fig 1.

.ig. 3 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section showing the cam operated means for a plying the pressure to the joint to be wel ed.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical wiring and the means for making and breaking the .electrical circuit through the primary of the transformer.

Supported on a base a and suitably insulated therefrom is a transformer housing 6. Within the housing is the primary coil 0 which is suitably connected to a source of energy controlled b a mechanismlater to be described, where y the current may be turned on or off. A pillar d, which is an integral part of the housing casting has secured thereto the work support e which is one of the poles of the secondary circuit.

At each end of the machine is a standard f and f which slidably support the movable work supports or stock holders 9 and 9'. These movable stock holders are clearly shown in Fig. 2. The'lugs or ears it carried by the work support e support the guide rods 2'. The movable stock holder 9 and g are slidable on these guide rods and each are provided with bosses j and j in which are adjustably secured the arms 70 and k provided with the rollers m and m. Suitably supported from the standards I and f are the jack shafts n and n and the transmission gears 0 and 0' connect this shaft to the motors M and M. As the motors are actuated the jack shafts will be driven in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig.

4. Keyed or otherwise secured to these shafts are the cams p and p a ainst which the rollers m and m carried by the arms 70 and k engage. The cams are so constructed that during the-first part of their movement the stockholders g and 9 will be moved towards the center of the machine while during the latter half of the movement of said cams the work will be held for such a time and in such a manner as to apply the necessary pressure between the different pieces of work so that th joints may be successfully butt-welded by the resistance method.

As shown in Fig. 1, the pieces of work designated 1 and 2 are clamped to the movable stockholders g and g by the clamps 1 and 2. The piece of work that is held stationary is clamped to the central support 6 by means of the toggle clamp t. It will be plainly evident that as the movable stockholders are moved towards the center of the machine, the work designated 1 and 2 will be forced into contact with the work 3 clamped to the central support e, and further movement of the cam p causes the work 1 and 2 to be forced under pressure and held under pressure while so contacting.

To obtain a good weld by the resistance method it is necessary to provide a current, which passes through these joints, having a low voltage and a high amperage. To obtain such a weld it is necessary to throw the current on while the several pieces of work are held in close contact with each other. To accomplish this I secure a switch cam s (Fi 5) preferably formed of insulating material, to the shaft 11. and supportedand suitably insulated from the base is a bracket a which slidably'supports the contact pin '0. The coil spring w forces the pin into engagement with the cam, and as the cam rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the initial movement of the cam will cause the pinto be forced downwardly and close the switch gap as for completing the primary circuit '0. This movement of'the contact pin is carried on while the pieces of work are being brought together. Preferably as the same come in contact the contact pin is so timed as to close the switch gap :1: and complete the circuit. The transformer designated as a whole by T transforms the ordinary power current into one having a low Volta e and a high amperage known as the secon ary current. The work is secured to the poles of the secondary circuit as described and when the switch gap as is closed the secondary current will pass throu h the supports 9 and g and e, and the wor 1, 2 and 3, and will electrically-weld the pieces of work together at the joints A and B. The moving of the cam s is so timed that at the completion of one revolution the current will be shut off through the rimary coil, thereby turning off the secon ary current. Atv the same time the cam p completes another revolution and releases the roller m,

whereb the movable stock holders may be manual y moved back by means now to be described, to allow the work to be taken out of the machine.

A clutch 10, (Fig. 4) controls the rotation of the shaft n and the clutch pedal 11 is depressed by the foot of the operator, which pushes up on the draft rod 12, thus withdrawing the pin 13 from the clutch collar to release the clutch and to connect the shafts n and n to the driving member of the transmission. This is the usual form of clutch device which need not be described or shown in detail. This pedal 11 may be suitably connected to a clutch mechanism carried by the shaft n, which is located at the other end of the machine, whereby the cam p is also rotated actuating the movable support g through the arm k and the roller m. Obviously, it will be lain that these movable stock holders may e either operated independently of each other b providing separate foot levers controllin t em or they may be 0 erated simultaneous y by connecting the c utch parts in such a manner that they will both be operated by a movement of one of the pedals.

After the weld has been completed and the current has been turned off the operator may release the clamps 1", 2, and t, and then depressing the foot lever 14 which rocks the shaft 15 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4). An arm 16 is secured to this rock shaft 15 and the link 17 has one end secured to the end of the arm 16, and the other end connected to the bell crank 18, pivotally supported as at 19 on a bracket 20", carried by the pillar f. The free end of this bell crank is provided with a ball 21, which is adapted to engage in a recess 22 carried by the stock holder 9..

It is'plainly evident that when the cams p and p have completed one revolution so as to free the rollers m and m, the stock holders and 9 maybe forced away from the wor by depressing the pedal 14 which, through the suitably bell crank connections, positively moves the stockholders g and g. This allows the stock holders to be retracted so as to receive another set of work pieces to be welded.

To complete the circuit between the housing 1) and the movable stock holders 9 and g, I have ovided the flexible connectors 20 and 20' Fig. 1). The secondary current will pass from the housing b through the stock holders 9 and 9, through the work 1 and 2, then through the work 3 to the support 0 and to the pillar d, thereby completm the secondary circuit.

at I claim is:

1. In a butt welding machine, the combination of means for su porting a stationary piece of sheet pane stock, means for supporting a plura ity of other pieces of sheet panel stock, means b which the second mentioned pieces of s eet panel stock may be brought into edge-to-edge and registering line contact with the first mentioned sheet panel stock on different sides of the panel stock, and means by which a current of electricity may be passed through the ary piece of sheet metal stoclr, mean sheet panel stock pieces at the contac and registering edges for efi'ecti weld by electrical resistance weldr 2. In a butt Welding machine, bination oi means for supporting a stafion supporting separate sheets of metal on opposite sides of the first mentio stock, means for simultaneously moving; second mentioned pieces of stock into regis tering edge-to-edge or line contact ant applying pressure to such butt contactr edges of stock, and means for passing a or rent of electricity through the stool: to not weld the joints of the several pieces of stock by electrical resistance welding,

3. In a butt welding machine, the bination of a support, a transformer supported thereby and including a primary coil, a housing surrounding said primary coil serving to act as a secondary, a support secured to said housing for supporting a iece of sheet metal stock, movable stock ho ders movably supported on the support and electrically connected to the secondary housing of the transformer and provided with means for supportin other pieces of sheet metal stock, means or moving the movable stock holders to bring the stock carried thereby in contact edge to edge with the stock carriedby the support secured to the transformer housing, and means for energizing the primary coil'to force the secondary current through said stock supports for the purpose of butt-welding the several joints between the stock ieces.

4. In a butt we ding machine, thecombination of a support, a transformer hous in supported thereby, a primary coil contamed within the housin a pillar secured to the housing and provi ed with a support of stock holders movably supporte for supporting a piece of stock, a (plurality on said support and electrically connected with said transformer housing, means for moving said stock holders to bring the stock carried thereby into contact with the stock supported by the pillar, and means for energizing the grimary coil of the transformer whereby serves to conduct several pieces the purpose or butt-W lding the g machine, com- -1 supported ,ed housing,

the ho r 1 r :i the so orting a niece y of movah ins: sheet metal he support eiectrically co u to the trans former l'nous ving, means moving said. stool: holders to bring the stool: carried thereby into contact edge edge with the stock supported by the transformer housing, and means for energizing the primary coil whereby the transformer "housing and movable stock holders serve to conduct the secondary current to the stock for the purpose of simultaneously welding the several joints of said stock pieces.

6. In a butt welding machine, the combination of a support, means for supporting a panel of sheet metal stock thereon, a plurality of movable sheet metal panel stock holders movably supported on the first men- 'tioned su port, means for clamping the other stoc to said movable stock holders, power driven means for actuating said movable stock holders to bring the sheet panel stock carried thereby into registering edgeto-edge contact with the first mentioned sheet panel stock on difi'erent sides of said panel and for applying pressure to said movable stock holders to force the pieces of sheet panelstoclt tightly together, means for passin current through the abutting stock to wel the several joints of said panel stock pieces, and manually operated means whereby the movable stock holders may be retracted and the welded panel stock removed from the machine. 7

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

PETER FASSLER. 

